


a hazy shade of winter

by danthezijn



Series: one word writing prompts [5]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Art, Art Shows, Artist Steve Rogers, F/M, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Hopeful Ending, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pre-Relationship, Rare Pairings, Steve understands modern technology, Sweet, a straight couple? in my fic?, he just likes teasing Tony, it's more likely than you think, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 05:03:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15923417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danthezijn/pseuds/danthezijn
Summary: Pepper can’t think of the last time she went to a party for fun.





	a hazy shade of winter

**Author's Note:**

> title is 'a hazy shade of winter' by Simon & Garfunkel
> 
> based on the word 'winter'
> 
> all mistakes are my own

Pepper can’t think of the last time she went to a party for fun. Definitely not while dating Tony, where she knew she’d be busy looking after him and taking over business when the other lost his interest. Even before they started dating that was pretty much all she did.

 

Then, when she became CEO, she had to do it for herself. Make sure Stark’s business partners were content, meeting new potential business partners and always keeping an eye out for those they should maybe lose. People were always most honest when they were drunk, after all.

 

This is the first time in a long while where she goes to a party just because she wants to. Because she can. It’s an art show, the opening party of the new culture center in town. Art has always been one of her passions, so she’s excited to see what the locals who submitted something created.

 

Upon arrival, it’s immediately clear what the theme is and that they took it very seriously. The fake white snow, Christmas elements and decorations scream ‘winter’ like nothing else.

 

The first thing she sees upon entering the building is a giant sculpture made of glass, made to look like jagged ice. Inside it are fairy lights, interwoven in the structure, and the glow it gives off make the entrance hall feel warm and homey, even with the cold colors and theme. The hall flows into a much bigger room, the main event. There’s not just painting on the walls, there’s also sculptures and other structures in the middle of the floor, dividing the patrons and making it look like a maze, almost.

 

Pepper notices the familiar figure almost right away. He’s kind of hard to miss, standing taller than most others with his shocking blond hair and broad shoulders. She smiles and starts making her way towards him through the crowd.

 

Only once she arrives does she realize why he’s there: it looks like he submitted his art as well. He’s standing next to a wall filled with sketches, watercolor paintings and one big oil painting that’s hung up in the center of it. Even though the subjects are all different, they still relate somehow, not necessarily through the theme but the style and feel of them. The centerpiece is breathtaking, a tiny ship in the distance, frozen in the ice, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where the inspiration for that one came from.

 

Stepping closer, she sees the almost relieved smile when he spots her. “Miss Potts.”

 

She smiles as well, leaning into him to reciprocate the kisses on his cheek. “Fancy seeing you here, Steven. And please, call me Pepper.”

 

“Call me Steve, then. Steven reminds me of my mother,” he says, smile blinding. “What are you doing here? Not that I mind seeing you, of course.”

 

It’s then that she’s reminded that they barely know each other. Most of their interactions have been through Tony, and everything else she knows about him is through articles in either the newspaper or the internet. She imagines it’s pretty much the same for him.

 

“Well,” she starts, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, “I’m actually very interested and fascinated by art. Most art shows I went to have been for charity or the company, because that was as far as Tony was willing to go. Now that I’m single, I find myself enjoying non-benefit and small art shows like these a lot more.”

 

He nods along in understanding, face never betraying any pity he might feel over the break-up, unlike so many others. The “perfect couple” breaking up was a shock the world was apparently not ready to let go yet, but Steve doesn’t seem to have the same reservations.

 

“It’s always nice to be able to take time for yourself like that again, kind of rediscover yourself.”

 

She blinks in surprise. “Not to be rude, but do you have any experience?”

 

Steve chuckles, hand coming up to rub his neck in an almost nervous gesture. “Not like you and Tony, no.” The blush disappears, face turning more serious. “But I did wake up after seventy years in the ice, suddenly having lost Peggy. We might not have been together for as long as you two, but for me it felt like yesterday, you know? But for her it had been seventy years, so she’d moved on. I had to as well, then.”

 

Peppers nods in understanding and sympathy. She can’t imagine what he’s been going through, missing seventy years of progression in society but also personal relationships. “But you’re fine now?”

 

His face turns contemplating, but almost in a joking way, eyes twinkling with mirth. “Yeah, for the most part. Sometimes, especially when I’m alone, it can creep up on me. But just like you, I delved back into old hobbies and interests and developed new ones, so I can focus on that instead. Also,” he grins then, “Tony thinking I can’t use modern technology to save my life has been a pretty funny distraction.”

 

She can’t help but laugh at that, remembering several frustrated rants from Tony about ‘how can someone just not get it?’. “You’ve been pretending to be dense, then?”

 

His grin turns into a smirk. “He seems to forget I was friends with Howard. While he didn’t physically have the technology, he ranted about it so much that none of us doubted it would be real someday. I guess I was already mentally prepared for it to exist.”

 

Letting out a pretty unlady-like snort, Pepper covers her mouth. To be very honest, she hasn’t smiled or laughed this much in a while. Or been able to talk about Tony without feeling something constrict in her chest. Maybe she’s learning to deal with it as well.

 

Steve’s smile turns soft and he puts out his arm for her take. “Would you do me the honor of looking at art and helping you smile for the rest of the evening?”

 

If she hadn’t been Tony’s assistant for years, the question would have made her blush. Instead, it makes her feel warm inside. She puts her hand in the crook of his arm, says, “It would be my pleasure, Captain.” Thinking, when he shoots her another blinding smile, that she wouldn’t mind if he did that for the rest of her life, either.

**Author's Note:**

> guess who's in another rarepair hell??? that's right, it me. and it's a straight ship this time. i feel like i've lost who i am.
> 
> on a more serieus note, i do really love this pairing. i think it has the potential to be something sweet and i love that. also, Steve falling for badass!pepper is all i want.
> 
> i actually uploaded this on a Friday! miracles do come true!
> 
> let me know what you think :)


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